The Life of Alexander II

Alexander II, Emperor of Russia


Alexander II, the eldest son of Emperor Nicholas I, was born in Moscow, Russia, on April 17, 1818. He was educated by a legion of private tutors and was forced to undergo rigorous military training. His father believed this was essential to building his character. In 1841, Alexander married a Hessian princess named Maria Alexandrovna. She later converted to Orthodoxy.



Character traits


Alexander II had a strong sense of duty and responsibility. He frequently performed inspection tasks in the theater of military operations and often visited hospitals, especially those for typhoid patients. Although he was an affable and even-tempered person, he had moments of emotional instability. For instance, he once hit a table with his fist.



In addition to his sharp intellect, Alexander II had an incredible memory. Everyone who worked with him has attested to his incredible memory, including his ability to remember faces. He also possessed a stubbornness that allowed him to stick with his plans, often achieving them.



Reforms


Alekhander II reformed the social, economic, and legal systems of Russia. He emphasized the centrality of local authorities in the economy. Reforms in these areas had far-reaching effects, affecting all Russians. For example, alekhander II enacted a law allowing the district assembly to regulate the local economy.



Alexander II's reforms also affected the military. He made conscription compulsory for all men over the age of twenty and shortened the service time to fifteen years (five in the reserves). He also created military colleges to train non-noble officers. However, the military still suffered from shortages and problems of leadership. As a result, the Russian army had trouble in the war with Turkey (1877-78) and suffered defeat in the Ruso-Japanese war in 1904.



Assassination


The Assassination of Alexander II is a historical event that took place in 1881 in Russia. The assassination of a high-ranking official could spark a popular uprising. The plot was organized by a radical revolutionary group known as the Narodnaya Volya. This group hoped to cause social unrest in Russia. They planned an explosion on a train heading from Livadia to Moscow. Luckily, the train that carried the emperor was not struck by the bombing.



The Tsar had been known to travel to the city of Manezh on Sundays with his entourage. They would be flanked by Cossacks. The assassins placed a bomb underneath the carriage. After the assassination attempt, the Tsar and his entourage stopped. Ignacy Hryniewiecki then threw a package at Alexander's feet. The resulting explosion killed one Cossack and injured the driver. The rest of the assassins fled in a panic and left Alexander to bleed alone on the icy ground.



January Uprising


The Russian Empire crushed the January Uprising of 1863-1864 in what is now Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine. Thousands of insurgents were killed and hundreds more were exiled to Siberia. As a result, the Russians imposed martial law in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus for 40 years. The Russian language was banned in certain regions, and peasants were emancipated from serfdom.



The January Uprising was a failure largely because the insurgents did not gain the necessary foreign support or mobilize the peasantry. The small, poorly-equipped insurgent force was utterly outnumbered by the tens of thousands of Russian troops. While many of the insurgents were killed, Alexander II escaped with only minor injuries. Later, a second bomber threw a bomb at Alexander's feet. The bomb hit Alexander's legs, his stomach, and his face.



Relationship with Catherine Dolgorukova


Alexander II's relationship with Catherine was secret for a while. Although the two never signed their letters with their real designations, they made sure to stay close to each other. During their early days of infidelity, the couple secretly met in the garden near the Winter Palace. Catherine's mother, the headmistress of the Smolny Institute, encouraged the relationship. By June 1866, they had intimated in the Belvedere Pavilion near the Peterhof Palace. The two began secret meetings in the palace gardens, but it wasn't until 1867 that their affair became public.



Catherine Dolgorukova was eleven years old when she met Alexander. She was a girl of about the same age as Alexander, but her father had left her penniless. After the death of her father, Catherine was specified to attend the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens in St. Petersburg, which was intended for well-born girls. Her mother appealed to Count Nikolay Adlerberg, who offered to pay for Catherine's education.

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